Hemp Beer Now Available From Maryland Brewery

May-June 1997

The Frederick Brewing Company in Maryland has launched the first-ever
U.S. craft beer brewed with hemp seeds. Hempen Ale® is a brown ale brewed
with hemp seeds, which do not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary
psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The unique protein spectrum of the
hemp seeds gives the beer a "rich, creamy head and imparts mellow herbal
flavors and aromas," the company said. Hempen Ale®, approved by
the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for distribution, was made
available to beer distributors on April 28 in 23 states, mostly along
the eastern seaboard ("Frederick Brewing to make Hempen Ale,"
The Baltimore Sun, April 2, 1997, p. 2C).